Bain & Company Reviews

Pros

The poeple who work here make all the difference. There is also a level of introspection and self application of our tools where Bain tends to overcommunicate and work hard to ensure that this is a great place to work. The partners here really do care that the most junior people have great experiences. Also, from day 1 of being an AC through being a Consultant, everyone's input is asked for and the quality of your input is what guides the conversation, not your rank or tenure.

Cons

Like all management consulting firms, this is a rigorous experience. No one should come to Bain or any of its competitors if they're not willing to work very hard at times. On the whole my hours have been very reasonable, but there are cases where hours spike and you might be traveling 3-4 days a week. I think Bain is better at managing this than other firms and works to mitigate this downside, but it's something to be aware of when applying for jobs.

Pros

Bain has a great culture - people you enjoy working with and spending time with outside of work.

Cons

We are very tenure-based in promotions. It is a meritocracy, but only within certain broader guidelines for required tenure at certain positions.

Pros

I truly believe there is no better place to start your career than at Bain. At Bain you are given opportunities to work with senior level executives, solve challenging business problems, and spend each day with co-workers who are incredibly talented yet down to earth

Cons

In a professional services firm lifestyle is not always predictable but management does the best they can to plan ahead to reduce issues

Advice to Senior Management

Bain can do a better job providing opportunities for ACs/Consultants to develop more expertise in areas they are passionate about

Pros

More variety in staffing than at peers, always being pushed to the next level, strong friendships and mentorships across all levels of the organization, management works very hard to address issues

Cons

While Bain has made efforts to moderate the downsides of consulting as an industry, they're still there. Like in any client service industry, there can be last-minute requests, difficult client relationships and crush periods, as well as the usual travel lifestyle. I do feel like Bain does a good job of managing these to the highest extent possible, but they're still a fact of life.

Pros

Bain is a place with a wonderful and strong culture, a strong focus on professional development, and a real drive toward delivery of results for the client

Cons

As with any consulting firm, you will face consulting hours and difficult travel at times. The promotions can be somewhat slow for type-a's, but generally still fast paced.

Advice to Senior Management

Continue to re-inforce the culture. It is what makes Bain stand out from the consulting norm.

Pros

While consulting with any of the major firms is an outstanding foundation for a career, Bain offers the opportunity to work with a special group of people that are incredibly smart, fun-loving, and supportive beyond belief. The friendships and mentorships you will develop at Bain are truly what make the job.

Cons

As with any client services firm, lifestyle can be vary depending on case and client demands, but the best managers focus the team's time on the highest priority demands.

Pros

Great culture with lots of smart people who are fun to work with. Exposure to lots of business problems, good learning opportunities.

Cons

The job typically requires a lot of travel and nights away from home. The hours can be very long too.

Pros

High compensation
Fun and very smart people
Incredibly supportive

Cons

Long hours can be tiring

Pros

Working at Bain was a pleasure and a joy. My colleagues were smart, impressive and enjoyable to spend time with. I learned a tremendous amount and felt prepared for my business life, post-Bain. I now have friends for life and an exceptional business network.

Cons

More multinational clients and time 'on the coal-face' with clients means time away from home. I am fully supportive of being client-facing but it's a conscious trade-off that applicants will need to make (and no different from the competition).

Advice to Senior Management

Keep up the fantastic global training sessions!

Pros

I am always amazed how flexible Bain management will be to accomodate personal needs. Time off, or reducing travel or different staffing. It feels like they really care about me as a person.

Cons

We are on the road a lot...this is a hard job.

Advice to Senior Management

We do a good job with providing externships, but I think we coule even offer more externships...not just for SACs, but for all levels.